Several popular team sports utilize goals in which each of two teams attempts to place a ball or other object in the goal of the opposing team. Each team defends its own goal by attempting to prevent placement of the ball or other object into that team's goal by the opposing team. For example, in soccer the players of opposing teams attempt to maneuver a ball downfield and into the goal of the opposing team by kicking the ball. In hockey, a puck is maneuvered on an ice rink by striking of the puck with a hockey stick, whereas in lacrosse, a ball is thrown downfield by tossing and catching of the ball by the players using lacrosse sticks. In these types of sports, a “goalie” or goalkeeper stands in front of each team's goal and defends the goal by attempting to deflect the ball or puck from the interior of the goal as the players on each team attempt to place the ball or puck in the opposing team's goal.
These types of sports may present several challenges to coaches as they teach athletes to improve and repeat skills in maneuvering the ball or other object into an opposing team's defended goal. Because the goalkeeper is typically positioned at the center portion of the goal opening during play, the tendency, particularly for young athletes, is to aim directly at the goalkeeper as though the goalkeeper were the target. Therefore, athletes may be coached to maneuver the ball or other object into the areas of the goal opening which are most difficult for the goalkeeper to defend (typically the upper and lower corners of the goal opening).
Therefore, a sports training device which is suitable for developing skills in maneuvering a ball or other object into an area of a goal which is difficult for a goalkeeper to defend is desirable.